Pulled BBQ-Chicken Sandwiches

1. In a small bowl, whisk together ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire, and paprika. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high. Season chicken generously with salt and pepper. Working in three batches, and adding remaining 1 tablespoon oil as necessary, sear chicken until golden, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

3. Drain all but 1 tablespoon oil from Dutch oven; reduce heat to medium. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add beer and barbecue sauce; stir until combined. Return chicken and any accumulated juices to Dutch oven. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer until chicken is very tender, about 1 hour. Turn off heat.

4. Transfer chicken to plate; let cool. When cool enough to handle, remove skins (and reserve, if crisping; see Cook's Note, below) and bones; discard bones. Shred chicken into large pieces with two forks.

5. Bring sauce to a simmer and reduce until slightly thickened, about 30 minutes. (You should have about 3 cups.) Mash garlic with a potato masher until broken down. Return shredded chicken to Dutch oven and heat through, or let cool to room temperature and refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days (gently reheat before serving). Serve on potato buns.

Cook's Notes

Crisped chicken skin makes these sandwiches even more crowd-pleasing. To make cracklings, arrange reserved chicken skins from step 4 in a single layer on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet; top with another piece of parchment. Weigh down with another rimmed baking sheet. Bake in a 350-degree oven 15 minutes, then flip, re-cover, and bake until crisp and caramelized, another 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer cracklings to a paper towel-lined plate to crisp. Layer on sandwiches when serving.